The present invention relates to a method continuous manufacturing of a fiber reinforced foamed resin formed piece used in various applications including sleepers and building materials, or similar formed pieces.
As a continuous manufacturing method of a foamed piece reinforced with long fibers, generally, a manufacturing method as disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Patent Publication Sho. 52-2421 is known. In this manufacturing method, as shown in FIG. 17 and FIG. 18, multiple long fibers a are arranged parallel and moved continuously, and a foam-curing resin solution is sprayed on the way to the long fibers a to impregnate the foamed resin. Next, the long fibers a impregnated with the foam-curing resin solution are led into a forming passage d of formed piece c shaped in a square cross section by four endless belts b. A bundle e of the long fibers impregnated with the foam-curing resin solution is foamed and cured while passing through this forming passage d. As a result, a long foam formed piece f in a square cross section is manufactured continuously.
In the manufacturing method disclosed in the Japanese Patent Publication Sho. 52-2421, the foam formed piece f is manufactured in such a process. With the forming die c used in this manufacturing method, since the four endless belts b for composing the forming passage d are of fixed type, to change the cross sectional shape of the foam formed piece f (to change the cross sectional slender ratio), it was necessary to disassemble the constituent members including the upper, lower, right and left rollers g of the forming passage d and endless belts b, exchange the constituent members so as to compose a desired shape of the foam formed piece, and reassemble the forming passage, which was a great demerit.
To solve this problem, for example, a manufacturing method as disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication Sho. 59-36415 was developed. In this method, essentially, as shown in FIG. 19, four endless belts b are disposed in a mutually confronting manner at specific intervals so as to compose upper, lower, right and left sides, and a forming passage d of a square cross section is constructed. The endless belts b for composing the upper and lower sides of the forming passage d are defined in the movement in the upper direction and lower direction by rollers g disposed along the longitudinal direction of the forming passage d, so that the interval of the upper side and lower side of the forming passage d is always fixed at a specific gap.
On the other hand, the right and left sides of the forming passage d composed of the endless belts b are laid out so as to be held between the endless belts b composing the upper side and lower side. On the back side of the endless belts b (made of steel) for the right and left sides, a side frame i having a permanent magnet h, and a bearing j for supporting the side frame i are disposed so that the both endless belts b may not collapse into the passage d in the manufacturing process of the foam formed piece.
The essential parts of the manufacturing apparatus for carrying out the method disclosed in the Japanese Utility Model Publication Sho. 59-36415 are composed as described above. However, in this apparatus, the dimension in the widthwise direction of the foam formed piece to be formed can be freely changed by moving the endless belts b forming the both side surfaces, but the interval for forming the thicknesswise direction of the foam formed piece is constant-in its structure, and therefore when changing, it was necessary to disassemble the endless belts b of both sides, replace the right and left sides with endless belts of desired width, and reassemble the forming passage d.
Such modification required many parts to be changed, and took much manpower in replacement and adjustment, and needed a long working time. Furthermore, the facility expense was enormous, and a wide storing space for replacement parts was needed, among other problems.
The invention was developed in the light of such background, and it is hence a primary object thereof to present a continuous manufacturing method of formed piece capable of changing the size of the cross section of the forming passage by a simple operation, forming a formed piece of a desired sectional shape easily and efficiently, and preventing leak of resin solution from the forming passage, and its apparatus.